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Galveston, on the upper coast of Texas and just 30 minutes from open seas, has in recent years become a home port for Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise ships sailing primarily to Mexico and the Western Caribbean. The port city, pleasantly uncrowded with other cruise ships, is also a strong destination for pre- and post-cruise visits. Highlights include Schlitterbahn Waterways, which features waterslides, uphill water coasters, white-water rafting, hot tubs and the Boogie Balm Surf Rider, and the tropical resort at Moody Gardens.

Carnival Cruises

Carnival has two ships that home port year-round in Galveston. The Ecstasy, which carries 2,056 guests, sails four- and five-night cruises to Cozumel, Mexico. The five-night cruises also include a call at lively Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico. These inexpensive vacations, starting (as of March 2010) at $309 per person/double occupancy, make a good quick getaway and can give first-time cruisers a chance to see how they like it.

The Ecstasy is an older ship but has been refurbished. Its features include an Internet cafe, a Twister waterslide, casino, video arcade and resort-style pools.

The newer and larger Carnival Conquest sails seven-night cruises from Galveston, alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The eastern cruise makes stops at Key West, Fla., and Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas. Rates for this cruise, as of March 2010, start at $489 per person/double occupancy. The western itinerary includes visits to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Cozumel, Mexico. Rates (which are subject to change at any time) for this cruise start at $429.

The Conquest carries 2,974 passengers and boasts features such as the Seaside Theater, with its on-deck jumbo LED screen, a sports park and a Twister waterslide.

Carnival Cruises

3655 N.W. 87th Ave.

Miami, FL 33178-2428

888-CARNIVAL

carnival.com

Royal Caribbean's Caribbean Cruises

The popular Voyager of the Seas, which upon its launch in 1999 was the largest cruise ship in the world, sails seven-night cruises to the Caribbean in the spring and winter from Galveston. The ship's itinerary varies, so check website information carefully. As of March 2010, spring cruises featured Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Cozumel, Mexico. (On a few of these cruises, ports such as Falmouth, Jamaica, and Costa Maya, Mexico, are substituted.)

Winter cruises include visits to Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize, which, with its wildlife and natural beauty, is a newer hot spot; and Cozumel, from which travelers can visit the majestic ancient ruins of Tulum.

As of March 2010, rates for the seven-night cruises start at $599 per person/double occupancy for an inside room, $699 for an outside room, $899 for a balcony cabin and $1,299 for a suite. Voyager, which carries 3,114 guests, was a pioneer of Royal Caribbean's now-trademark features, including the 200-foot-tall rock-climbing wall, ice skating rink, mini golf course and full-size basketball court.

Royal Caribbean International

1050 Caribbean Way

Miami, FL 33132

866-562-7625

royalcaribbean.com/

Royal Caribbean's Transatlantic Cruise From Galveston

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas sails a transatlantic eastbound cruise in the spring from Galveston. The 14-night cruise, which disembarks in Barcelona, Spain, visits Nassau in the Bahamas, before crossing the cool Atlantic Ocean. (There are nine sea days on this cruise--five without a port--so it's not recommended for those who don't enjoy ship-board life.)

Before arriving in Barcelona, the cruise visits Ponta Delgado in Portugal's Azores, and sunny Malaga and the walled-town of Cartagena in Spain. Barcelona is one of the globe's most heralded destinations, due in part to its art and architecture as well as its easy lifestyle.

As of March 2010, rates for the cruise, which officially starts the Voyager's Mediterranean season, start at $799.

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About the Author

Debbie Selinsky is an award-winning writer based in North Carolina. Selinsky is the former senior editor of "Success Magazine" and deputy director of the Duke University News Service. She has written about travel for many years and specializes in cruise travel, having sailed on more than 100 cruises. Selinsky attended North Greenville University, Oregon Institute of Technology and the Poynter Institute for Journalistic Excellence.

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